DOVER — While the on-street winter parking ban remains in effect, vehicles parked in any city-controlled parking lot overnight no longer need a parking permit — or at least not for the rest of the season.

Years ago, the winter parking permit system was established to, according to a public statement, “notify vehicle owners to move their car so snow plows could clear the lots.”

In an effort to save time and activity for both the driver and the city, Parking Manager Bill Simons asked the parking commission during a meeting last week if they would be interested in recommending Police Chief Anthony Colarusso to waive a condition of the winter parking ban involving the permits.

The parking commission was on board.

From now through the end of the season, the free permits requiring vehicles parking in city-control parking lots will no longer be necessary.

However, on-street parking restrictions remain in effect. From Dec. 1 to April 1 from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., vehicles are prohibited from parking on city streets. Time limits, meters and other daytime regulations for parking lots are also still in effect.

“The change (of no longer needing the parking permit) will be evaluated until the first of April, the remainder of the season,” Simons said. “Then it will be reviewed over the summer by the parking commission.”

According to a public statement, no longer needing the permit will “save time and resources by utilizing electronic databases and search engines to contact motorists.”

Approximately 200 people visit the police station each year to obtain a winter parking permit, according to Simons. Even though the permits were free, they took time to fill out and were troublesome for visitors only planning on stay for one night, who were still required to have a permit in their car.

According to a public statement, “Generally, parking lots are not completely cleared on the night of the storm as crews are concentrating on clearing the roads for the morning. When crews do return to the lots, barricades are normally set up the day before to alert vehicle owners of any restrictions.”

If a car does need to be moved from a city-controlled lot during a storm, the Police Department will locate the owner through motor vehicle or online databases.

“Saving upward of 200 visits a year to the police station lobby and not needing to collate and store all the permit applications will go a long way toward freeing up staff time for other duties,” Colarusso said in a public statement.

According to Simons, the City Council will have to vote to permanently remove the permits after the parking commission’s review this summer.